United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is a country located in the Northwest of mainland Europe. It has been the primary setting of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and encompasses a history that begins from ancient times up to the modern day. History Ancient Times For centuries before civilization, the British Isles were a untamed wilderness inhabited by a race of giants. However, following the battle of Troy, Brutus, accompanied by the sex-changing immortal Orlando, arrived on the island, slaughtering the native population of giants, renamed the isles Brutain, or Britain, and founded a new city by the name of Troy Novatum, or New Troy. This city would eventually be the site of a battle between the legendary queen Boudicea as she attempted to defend the region from invading Romans. The Romans, taking over New Troy, renamed the city Londonium, or London. For centuries, the islands remained under Roman rule, yet during the collapse of the Roman Empire, Britain was officially declared a pagan nation by the Roman Empire. Middle Ages For centuries, Britain remained a land untouched by civilization, being the home of faeries and ogres. However, during the rule of King Uther, and his son Arthur, Britain entered a period of prosperity, only to return to wilderness following the death of King Arthur and the removal of Excalibur. By the 1100s, Britain had apparently returned to some semblance of civilization, with the return of humanity to the isles. 1500s and 1600s Following the crusades, Britain entered a period where magic coexisted side-by-side with the general population. The ultimate expression of the unification between magic and humanity in Britain was the ascension of Queen Gloriana to the throne. Gloriana, the daughter of King Henry VIII and faerie half-breed Nan Bullen, ruled over Britain for half a century, seeing many improvements in the general condition of life as well as in the arts. It was also during this time that the first League, also known as Prospero's Men, was formed, under the charge of Duke Prospero of Milan. This League, composed of individuals with powerful or unique abilities, would help defend the British Isles from unnatural and dangerous threats. However, following the death of Queen Gloriana, the original league was disbanded, with Duke Prospero retiring to the Blazing World. The new King, the deeply Christian King Jacob, then perpetuated a genocide of Britain's faerie population, forcing the remaining faeries to escape to the Blazing World, and effectively disenchanting Britain. It was also during this period that the King Jacob Bible became the religious norm. In 1666 the Great Fire of London occurred, damaging most of the capital. Much of this, in reality, was the hidden work of the time-traveling alien known as the Doctor. 1700s The 1700s saw the formation of a new League under King George: this new League was lead by British explorer Lemuel Gulliver, and thus became known as Gulliver's Fellowship. With the immortal Orlando included once more, the new League battled threats to the nascent British Empire, as well as charting new territories and exploring the world. Despite the eventual dissipation of this League, the format for a group of extraordinary individuals who would defend Britain from threats was cemented into British society. The 1700s also saw the exploits of the famed naval commander Horatio Hornblower, as he battled the French at sea during the Napoleonic Wars. Victorian Era The Victorian Era was a time of extensive progress for Britain, as the Empire continued to expand its territories across the world. A good example of this progress was the construction of the Channel Causeway; a vast bridge connecting England to France via the English Channel. However, multiple dangers both inside and out threatened to topple the Empire's foothold on the known world. During the reign of Queen Victoria, a new League was formed, this time composed of a new set of individuals: Mina Murray, who had survived the perils of Count Dracula, the legendary explorer Allan Quatermain, the physician Dr. Henry Jekyll and his monstrous counterpart, Edward Hyde, the invisible sociopath Hawley Griffin, and the Science-Pirate Captain Nemo. This new League would be instrumental in defending London from the rogue leader of British Intelligence Professor James Moriarty (who controlled the British intelligence under the alias of M), who had attempted to bomb the East side of London, where his rival, the "Devil Doctor" operated. Moriarty planned to do this from his Cavorite-powered heavy-than-airship. While the threat of Moriarty was solved (with Mycroft Holmes becoming the new M), a new threat came to plague the British Isles: an extraterrestrial invasion. These extraterrestrials, known as the Mollusc, had invaded and occupied the planet Mars, enslaving its native population of Red and Green Martians (this led to humanity erroneously calling the Mollusc "Martians"). In 1898, the Mollusc attacked London as well as the rest of the British Isles; this invasion saw the betrayal and death of Hawley Griffin, as well as the death of Mr. Hyde as he attempted to defend London from invading tripods. London saw extensive destruction, such as the explosion of Rotherhithe Bridge, and the multiple atrocities conducted by the aliens. However, due to the work of the biologist Dr. Alphonse Moreau, the invaders were quelled with the introduction of a synthetic virus that the British government claimed to be nothing more than the common cold. Due to this, most of the invaders were quelled, and British society resumed normalcy. The introduction of the virus would, however, lead to the departure of Captain Nemo from the League. Early 20th Century The early 20th century saw tremendous progress for the British Empire; in 1901 the scientist and explorer Selwyn Cavor facilitated the British colonization of the Moon; however, he did not return to Earth and was presumed dead. It was during this period that the cult of Oliver Haddo began gaining strength, as they planned to bring about an apocalypse facilitated by a "Moonchild". In 1910, the new League, composed of the now-immortals Allan Quartermain and Mina Murray, as well as Orlando, the occult detective Thomas Carnacki, and the master thief A.J. Raffles, attempted to prevent disaster at the coronation of King George. This disaster was supposedly related to Haddo's Moonchild and the return of the terrible assassin "Jack the Ripper". During this time, the East End was raided by the heir to Captain Nemo, his daughter Janni, who bombarded London's East End with artillery and explosive harpoons after being brutally raped in the previous night. By 1914, much of the peace in this period ground to a halt with the sudden start of the First World War, when Germany invaded Belgium, having failed to incite tensions between Britain and France. World War I saw many battles across Europe, including the famed Battle of Mons, where ghostly archers helped the British in repelling the German advance. The Great War eventually ended with Germany being reduced to a shadow of its former self. World War 2 and the Postwar Era (1939-1958) International conflict, however, did not disappear, with the rise of the clownish, albeit charismatic, Dictator Adenoid Hynkel in Germany. Uniting the German-speaking states of Tomania and Meccania into the Pan-German Union, Hynkel plunged the world into another devastating conflict with his invasion of Poland and Osterlich in 1939. By 1940, most of Europe had fallen under Germany-Tomania, as well as under Hynkel's allies, such as Benzino Napaloni of Bacteria. The 1940s saw the extended bombardment of London by advanced Tomanian Jet-Fighters, as well as a failed land invasion of Britain, which resulted in the destruction of the Channel Causeway. By 1945, the war had turned to the Allies' favor. Yet things seemed bleak on the horizon, with the rise of the INGSOC party in Britain. Riding on post-war fears, the INGSOC party, under Sir Harold Wharton, defeated the Conservative and Labour parties, and took over Britain. Under INGSOC. Wharton was referred to as Big Brother, freedom and democracy were suppressed, and a new language is known as "Newspeak" became the norm in England. However, following the assassination of Wharton, INGSOC collapsed. By 1958, most of Britain was in the process of rebuilding what had been lost during the INGSOC era. 1960s and Beyond Following the removal of INGSOC, Britain entered a period of social liberalisation that culminated in the "love generation". It was during this time that superhero teams in Britain became popular, with the introduction of the famed Seven Stars League. By 1969, Britain was a hotbed of the psychedelic movement. Pop bands such as the Rutles and the Purple Orchestra enthralled the public, and hippies became a norm in society. However, there were darker things lurking beneath the surface: the death of Basil Thomas, lead singer for the Purple Orchestra, occult activities, as well as oversee a new drug known as "Taddies", or Tadukik Acid. By the 1970s, most of the optimism of the 1960s faded, and Britain entered a period marked by stress and punk rock. The 21st Century The 21st Century saw the beginning of new trends and threats: international terrorism, the rise of the information age, and many others. 2005 saw what may have been the deadliest terror attack on British soil when Islamic fundamentalists suicide bombed multiple tube stations and buses. By 2009, Britain was experiencing problems due to the war on terror as well as the economic recession, London by now had become a dystopia. However, it was during this time that the Antichrist (Oliver Haddo's so famed "Moonchild") was defeated by an incarnation of God, but not before he could slay Allan Quatermain and almost kill Mina Murray and Orlando, the last living members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Notable Locations *London - The Capital City of the United Kingdom and the main office of the League. English Channel *The Streaming Kingdom - An aquatic kingdom near the mouth of the Seine, inhabited by the aquatic Water Babies (former souls that drowned) and a mighty regent called "his Royal Wetness". Cornwall *Helston Cave - The secret location of either Merlin's tomb or the lovers Tristan and Isolde's banished hideaway. Devon *Baskerville Hall - The bleak ancestral estate belonging to the Baskerville family. Dorset *Victoria - A mile-long model town founded on Puritan beliefs, built in a perfect square designed to isolate the secluded urban corners where crime thrives. Surrey *Commutaria - A quaint village founded by an alleged descendant of Merlin sporting its own pleasant climate in which fortune is evidently found for weary commuters, but isn't so easy to locate. Hampshire *Yalding Towers - An enchanted stone castle in the town of Liddlesby whose shrubbery displays many stone statues of prehistoric creatures. It was built decades ago by a man who owned a magic ring that made the wearer invisible. Sussex *The Beekeeper's Home - A house near the seaside cove of Fulworth; residence to an elderly beekeeper. Mina Murry once visited the house in 1904. *The "Wish House" - A small basement-kitchen house on 14 Wadloes Road in Salldene in which visitors, by wishing aloud into the house's letter-box slot, can take upon themselves the ills of their loved ones by supernatural forces. *The Starkadder Farm - A rundown farm near Salldene whose rural owners claim to be haunted by a mysterious entity residing in the woodshed. Kent *Greyfriars School- An English public school that served as a recruiting ground for spies and agents for the British crown. The school lies on the fictional river Sark, upstream of the nearby village of Friardale and downstream of the market town of Courtfield. *Ravenal's Tower - The perplexing tomb in Ivybridge of the cursed Richard Ravenal, whose body resides in an octagonal chamber halfway up the tower. *The White House - A remote cottage built near a gravel pit where the reported Psammead (sand fairy) is sighted. Essex *Scoti Moria - A small floating island located in the middle of the Thames-Isis Gulf, off the coast of England. Also known as "Summer Island", the island floats away during winter and hides till the summer and is inhabited by the lazy Naiads. Cambridge *Bedegraine Forest - The site of a battle where King Arthur solidified his reign in a victory over rebel kings. *Camford - A university town, home to Professor Presbury who had discovered, through his experiments on monkeys, that men could be transformed into apes by injecting monkey serum into their veins. *Fergus Castle - A small island in the River Cam where Sir Marhalt, one of Arthur's knights, slew the giant Taulurd. The giant's stronghold is visibly still present. *Giant's Garden - The garden surrounding an enormous tower near Camford, formerly owned by a once-selfish giant. Oxford *The White Rabbit's Warren - This area on the Thames' riverbank between Godstow and Folly Bridge is where Alice Liddell and the ill-fated Bellman expedition found the portal to Wonderland. East Angila *Winton Pond - A small island beneath which are a labyrinth of tunnels, complete with a strange pair of inhabitants and a great trove of treasure consisting of all the valuable rubbish people have ever lost. Thames Valley *Crotchet Castle - The home of the Scottish Jew, Ebenezer MacCrotchet, Esq. who brought all of the offending statues of the goddess Venus to his home for display. Warwickshire *Avondale Phalanstery - A commune founded on idealism where crippled or deformed children are put to death without pain. Despite this practice being outlawed in 1907, the method was finally halted in 1912. Herefordshire *Amr's Tomb - The dimensional shifting burial chamber of Amr, who was slain by his alleged father, King Arthur. Located in Archenfield. *Yspaddaden Penkawr - A mysterious castle which appears to recede the closer one draws towards it. *Exham Priory - A gloomy, miserable estate in Anchester, plagued by carnivorous rats and once home to a disturbing family. Glamorgan *City of Legions - A striking Arthurian ruin where parts of its two churches and astronomy college are perfectly intact, despite their age. Carmarthen *Llaregub - A small, sleepy Welsh village close to the River Dewi. Gwynedd *The Village - A coastal village resort where all occupants are held prisoner, isolated from the mainland by mountains and sea. It was built by the Thought Police to house enemies of Big Brother. Staffordshire *Diana's Grove - A eerie grove near the illustrious Caswell family home built atop the labyrinth of a monstrous, evil white worm that had survived since prehistoric times in the tunnels beneath England, plaguing several good stout Englishmen and woman while in the form of a beautiful lady before finally being killed through the suitable application of dynamite. Lincolnshire *Nightmare Abby - A dilapidated family mansion inhabited by nihilists. Yorkshire *Harthover Place Cheshire *Alderly Edge - A windswept location which hides Fundinelve, a cave housing 140 knights in silver armor in an enchanted sleep, waiting for the chance to fight the evil Spirit of Darkness. Newcastle *Vril-ya Country - The subterranean utopia to the Vril-ya, a red-skinned alien race with amazing capabilities residing deep within a coal mine ravine. Northumberland *Roman State - A subterranean nation underneath the north of England, reachable via a trapdoor at the base of Hadrian's Wall, home to the descendants of a lost Roman legion from ancient times. *Joyeusegarde - A fortress raised following the Roman Empire’s retreat from Britain and the location of Lancelot’s tomb. Presently, the castle has since been referred to as Bamburgh Castle. Stirling / Renfrewshire / West Dunbartonshire *Coal City - A staggering subterranean city located founded by coal miners beneath central Scotland extending from the New Aberfoyle caverns, fifteen hundred feet beneath Stirling, Renfrew, and Dumbarton. Ayrshire *Abaton - A Scottish town somewhere between Glasgow and Troon that cannot be located or visited. Only a lucky few manage to catch a glimpse of it, always at sunset and sunrise from a distance; those who see Abaton are always affected strongly by it, either with great joy or great sorrow. *Brigadoon - A reclusive highland village that reappears for only one day at a time at century-long intervals. Unspecified *Airfowlness - The location on the western coast of Scotland where thousands of hooded crows hold their yearly parliament, to boast of what they had done the previous year and to bring one of their own to trial. *Coradine - A kind of utopia set in northern Scotland, where the womenfolk there celebrate Wicker Rapist Day by crafting wicker statues, putting live human beings inside it, and setting it ablaze as a human sacrifice. *The Glittering Plain - An enchanted hidden kingdom in a highland valley on the coast of northern Scotland. Also known as the the “Acre of the Undying”, those who enter the valley are granted immortality, but they can never leave. *Hogwarts - A hidden school in the moorlands of Scotland dedicated to teaching young wizards and witches the art of magic, accessible only by train. It was destroyed by the Antichrist in 1999. *Manor Farm - A farm run by intelligent farm animals who rebelled against their human owner. *St. Merryn's Hospital *The Island of Ransom - A remote island to the North of Scotland, famous for its wreckers and pirates. The Hall of Ravagers is said to contain a cavern likeness of the Glittering Plain’s immortal king. Category:Countries Category:Europe